Golf club covers historically have been found very useful for protecting club heads from dirt, damage due to accidental impact with other clubs or objects, and adverse environmental effects, such as exposure to sun and rain. Stocking cap type covers have been available for a long time. These are typically made of fabric and generally have a sleeve that slides over the head and extends a short distance along the shaft. Although functional and inexpensive stocking cap covers are inconvenient to use in that they are easily lost when removed from a club and take considerable time to replace on the club. Proper use of stocking cap covers thus delays progress of the game which detracts from the enjoyment of the players.
A variety of fixed shape golf club covers have been disclosed in the art. Examples include club covers disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,508,525; 3,117,609; 3,664,399; and 4,278,832. These covers primarily are intended for protecting wooden head clubs which are most susceptible to damage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,655 discloses a fixed shape head cover for a metal head club (i.e., an iron). These fixed shape covers commonly feature near complete encapsulation of the head to protect against intrusion of foreign matter as well as against impact damage. Due lo the variety of club shapes, fixed shape covers either must be fitted to a particular club or be oversized to accept the largest in a selection of clubs. Either way, the covers occupy a large volume, are somewhat cumbersome and are inconvenient for temporary storage while the club is in use.
Despite the extensive historical development of golf club accessories, there remains a need for a golf club cover especially adapted for protection of the putter. Modern putters are normally made of metal, including often expensive alloys. They are used for strokes which demand utmost in precision of projecting the ball upon impact with the club. Therefore maintaining cleanliness and freedom from nicks, dents and scratches, particularly on the club face, is extremely important.
Putters usually have an elongated, narrow head with a flat face aligned perpendicular to the ground surface. A variety of styles have evolved. These include "T" and "L" styles. The shaft of the T style connects to about the center of the head. In the L style, the shaft connects near one end of the head. Variations exist in which the shaft connects to the head at positions intermediate the center and the end of the head. It is desirable to have a cover which can accommodate the many geometric configurations of modern putters.
Additionally, there is a current need for a golf club cover which is quick to remove, easy and convenient to store temporarily while the club is in use, and simple and fast to replace.
Accordingly, there is now provided a cover for the head of a golf club comprising
a pair of elongated jaws which define an axis of elongation, each jaw having a C-shaped profile perpendicular to the axis to define an open ended, tubular cavity, a top edge, and a bottom edge diametrically across the cavity from the top edge; PA1 means for pivotally connecting the jaws at the top edges; PA1 a handle affixed to each jaw, which handles are aligned in relation to each other in a V-shape orientation; and PA1 manually releasable spring means for urging the bottom edges toward each other in a normally closed position of the cover about the head of the club
In an embodiment, at least the interior of the club cover is provided with a layer of soft, resilient material.